Other people make New Year's resolutions, right? So here are yours, in the form of 17 things you really MUST see/do/experience in 2017. For those of you keeping score, they are in random order!
1.George's turns 90
WHEN -- Party today & Saturday with the Cate Brothers, Mountain Sprout, The Squarshers & the legendary Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
WHERE -- George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville
WHY IT'S COOL -- Founded in 1927 as a restaurant, bar & general store, George's is one of the oldest and longest running live music venues in the state of Arkansas and one of the oldest bar and concert venues in the Midwest. Consequence of Sound ranked it No. 87 on its list of the 100 greatest music venues in the United States.
MORE INFO -- georgesmajesticlounge.com
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2.New Museum Gallery
WHEN -- Opens Jan. 14
WHERE -- Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale
WHY IT'S COOL -- The exhibit will cover Northwest Arkansas during the years between 1920 and 1950 when fruit and vegetable growing and canning were the economic engine of the area. It will also cover the beginnings of the poultry industry, the impact of the Depression, World War II and post-World War II on Northwest Arkansas and the introduction of utilities like electricity and gas which changed the way people lived. The exhibit will feature a scaled-down World War II era home and "Local Industries," a mural from the Springdale Post Office, among many other interesting artifacts of the era.
MORE INFO -- 750-8165
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3."Young Frankenstein"
WHEN -- Feb. 10-26
WHERE -- Arkansas Public Theatre in Rogers
WHY IT'S COOL -- You've seen it on the big screen with Gene Wilder as the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein (pronounced "Fronk-en-steen") who inherits his family's estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked side-kick, Igor (pronounced "Eye-gore"), and a leggy lab assistant, Inga (pronounced normally), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors, this time on the APT stage.
MORE INFO -- 631-8988
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4."Lysistrata"
WHEN -- Feb. 17-26
WHERE -- University Theatre in Fayetteville
WHY IT'S COOL -- "In the play, the ladies are fed up with the status quo," says director Morgan Hicks. "They're tired of the men running the government and getting them into wars. They decide to strike -- which means that they are going to withhold sex, but they also take over the treasury and leave their houses. ... For our production, we decided to lean into the idea of sexuality and commerce, so we are setting the play in a very over-the-top Vegas mall. I think the audience will find that it has the feeling of a classic comedic story transformed into a contemporary musical that showcases how completely relevant the story still is in 2017."
MORE INFO -- theatre.uark.edu
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5."On Fields Far Away"
WHEN -- Jan. 14-September
WHERE -- Rogers Historical Museum
WHY IT'S COOL -- The Rogers Historical Museum will commemorate the centennial anniversary of the United States' official entrance into World War I with an exhibit opening in January. "On Fields Far Away: Our Community During the Great War," will explore the impact made on local families and the community as a whole through the stories of some of those who served.
MORE INFO -- 621-1154
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6.La Radiant
WHEN -- Spring Break, March 20-24
WHERE -- Hosted by Potluck Arts in Springdale
WHY IT'S COOL -- A circus residency to introduce kids to circus arts, the spring break events will include circus camps and a performance of "Eat, Sweet, Feet," a new movement-based production for family audiences about self-expression and creative spark at the intersection of childhood dreams and adult nervousness. A blend of circus, theater, clowning, fairy tale, and shadow puppetry, it stars the celebrated theater artist and performer, Krin Haglun (Cirque du Soleil).
MORE INFO -- Email [email protected]
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7."The Last Five Years"
WHEN -- Feb. 10-12
WHERE -- Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale
WHY IT'S COOL -- The directorial debut of Lydia Corbel, "The Last Five Years" is a musical deconstruction of love featuring ACO veteran actress Betsy Crouch Jilka.
MORE INFO -- 751-5441
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8."Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest"
WHEN -- June 3-Aug. 14
WHERE -- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville
WHY IT'S COOL -- Dale Chihuly, an American sculptor, has mastered the translucent and transparent qualities of ice, water, glass and neon, to create works of art that transform the everyday experience. Immersive areas of the Crystal Bridges exhibit will include the Northwest Room, displaying Chihuly's slumped glass baskets together with examples from Chihuly's own collection of Northwest Coast Native American baskets, which inspired them. The Persian Room will bathe guests in brilliant colors of Chihuly glass from above. And in the newly enhanced north forest, multiple dramatic Chihuly installations will be on view along the gently curving paths.
MORE INFO -- crystalbridges.org
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9.Miss Arkansas Pageant
WHEN -- June 11-17
WHERE -- The newly renovated Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock
WHY IT'S COOL -- After 58 years, the pageant moves to the state's capital, bringing together for the first time the Miss Arkansas Pageant and the Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen sister event.
MORE INFO -- missarkansas.org
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10.Arkansas New Play Festival
WHEN -- June 15-24
WHERE -- Hosted by TheatreSquared at the Nadine Baum Studios in Fayetteville
WHY IT'S COOL -- Arkansas's flagship festival of bold new plays is bigger than ever, with two weekends of performances including a fully staged workshop production, three staged readings of brand new works and a host of exclusive behind-the-scenes events.
MORE INFO -- theatre2.org
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11.Opening Day
WHEN -- April 6
WHERE -- Arvest Ballpark in Springdale
WHY IT'S COOL -- The Northwest Arkansas Naturals bring Major League Baseball to town as a farm team for the Kansas City Royals.
MORE INFO -- nwanaturals.com
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12.White Street Walk
WHEN -- May 19
WHERE -- White Street in Eureka Springs
WHY IT'S COOL -- Started by Mary Springer, Eleanor Lux and Zeek Taylor 27 years ago, this street fair features more than 40 artists, many of whom open their homes and studios to the public for an intimate look behind the scenes. It is one of Eureka Springs' most popular events -- and one of my favorite things.
MORE INFO -- eurekaspringsfestivalofthearts.com
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13.Festival of Wonder
WHEN -- Opening April 6
WHERE -- Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.
WHY IT'S COOL -- Jim Moeskau, Silver Dollar City entertainment director, describes the new spring event Festival of Wonder as "more like Cirque du Soleil, but spread out all over the park." Replacing World-Fest, Festival of Wonder will feature "amazing and unique performers and acts that can astonish and wow audiences and do impossible feats." In addition, Moeskau says, each festival in 2017 will be accompanied by new food offerings, among them World of Bacon, Outrageous Sweets, Curious Kabobs, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, Crazy Grilling and big batch cooking.
MORE INFO -- silverdollarcity.com
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14.Fayetteville Roots Festival
WHEN -- Aug. 24-27
WHERE -- Downtown Fayetteville
WHY IT'S COOL -- Fayetteville Roots Festival's key components are music, food and community. The festival is a showcase of many of the elements that make Fayetteville a beloved cultural hot spot. The festival's motto is "A Mountain Town in its Natural State." Start watching for announcements of performers in January.
MORE INFO -- fayettevilleroots.com
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15.Riverfest
WHEN -- June 1-4
WHERE -- Downtown Little Rock
WHY IT'S COOL -- Turning 40 in 2017, Riverfest will announce its lineup early in the year. But rest assured, there will be great music, great eats and great arts.
MORE INFO -- riverfestarkansas.com
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16."Sherlock Holmes High School"
WHEN -- June 22-25
WHERE -- Presented by Arts Live Theatre in Fayetteville
WHY IT'S COOL -- Another ALT premiere production, "Sherlock Holmes High School" follows the adventures of the detective students enrolled at SHSS as they crack cases in between cracking the books to become the next world's greatest sleuths.
MORE INFO -- artslivetheatre.com
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17.Fort Smith turns 200
WHEN -- Dec. 25
WHERE -- Belle Pointe
WHY IT'S COOL -- As Fort Smith approaches its 200th birthday, the city's bicentennial committee is making big plans to celebrate. The city will stage an event at Belle Pointe on Christmas Day of 2017 and then will celebrate the entirety of 2018.
MORE INFO -- gofortsmithar.com
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NAN What's Up on 12/30/2016